The new protocol will allow 34 Spanish vessels to operate in these waters.
Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación.
The European Union and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau have confirmed the renewal of their fishing agreement which benefits the Spanish vessel activities in the area.
For the next five years, the new protocol will allow 34 Spanish vessels to operate in these waters and will maintain Spanish fishing opportunities for fish and cephalopod trawlers.
The current protocol expires on June 14, and for this reason, Spain requested the European Commission to ensure the continuity of fishing activities while the administrative procedures are completed.
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, Luis Planas, has expressed that this decision is "strategic" for Spain, particularly for shellfish and cephalopod vessels.
In more detail, the renewal is a priority for the 12 shellfish trawlers and 5 cephalopod vessels that are usually present in the fishing grounds. In addition, this will benefit 14 Spanish tuna purse seiners and surface longliners licensed for the Guinean fishing grounds, as well as three pole-and-line tuna vessels.
In April, the European Commission approved an aid line of €40 million for the modernization of the Spanish fishing and aquaculture processing sector, previously excluded from EU recovery plans.